The archipelago in flames
The Archipelago in Flames is a novel by the French author Jules Verne . The novel was first published on August 14, 1884 by the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel under the French title L'Archipel en feu . The first German-language edition appeared in 1887 under the title The Archipelago in Flames . The English title of the novel is The Archipelago on Fire .
action
The action of the novel takes place during the Greek Revolution in the 1820s. The Ottoman Empire oppresses the Greeks and sells prisoners to countries in North Africa. In this environment the Greeks begin to defend themselves against their oppressors, with the support of European volunteers, the Philhellenes . One of these volunteers is the young French naval officer Henry d'Albaret. During this time he fell in love on the island of Corfu with the banker's daughter Hadjine, daughter of the wealthy Greek banker Elizundo, whom he plans to marry soon. Since she reciprocates his love and her father agrees, soon all of Corfu is talking about the upcoming wedding.
At the same time, the reader gets to know the captain Nicolas Starkos of the ship Karysta in the fishing town of Vitylo , who is in contact with pirates . During his stay in Vitylo, he happened to meet his widowed mother again, who had joined the Greek freedom fighters and turned away from her son because of his predatory business. When they meet, she forbids him ever to re-enter his father's house and then sets it on fire to emphasize her demand.
Starkos, who has an inscrutable role in the slave trade , also appears to have ties to Sacratif, the most famous pirate of the Greek archipelago. This is one of the most inglorious creatures of the time. As an ally and beneficiary of Turkish oppression, he participates in the slave trade and ensures that his own compatriots are shipped to North Africa. Hadjine's father, Elizundo, also participates in the slave trade. Since Elizundo's business is secret, Starkos can blackmail him and, in turn, claim the hand of his daughter and his millions. The banker then breaks off the engagement between Hadjines and Henry. Not long afterwards, Elizundos suffers a stroke and dies, but Starkos holds on to his efforts and threatens to expose Hadjine. She finally gives Henry the passport and then disappears with her fatherly friend and protector Xaris. D'Albaret rejoins the fleet and the freedom fighters.
Henry d'Albaret is named captain of the heavily armed corvette Syphanta. This well-armed ship, acquired by merchants, is to free a part of the sea from the increasingly brazen pirates of the archipelago through a private initiative. D'Albaret goes on a ship hunt for pirates and brings down a number of pirates. The young captain is also on the lookout for Starkos, as he suspects that he is responsible for his misfortune. While he uses the time to look for pirates' hiding places in the hidden bays of Crete, he and his corvette Syphanta track down a mysterious brig just beyond Cape Matala . In spite of the greatest effort, the speed sailor cannot be caught and soon he has disappeared in the tangle of peninsulas and bays of Crete. The corvette sets out for the island of Scarpanto , known as the pirate camp and slave market. While going ashore, Henry discovers Hadjine and her companion as slaves at an auction . So he competes with the celebrities who are also present. Starkos increases in order to get into possession of the millions of Elizundos with Hadjine, and Henry wants to free his great love from the slavery. By making the last bid at the sound of the shot that announces the end of the market, he comes into the possession of Hadjines and other slaves with all his fortune.
On the way home, the corvette meets an association of pirate ships under the command of the Chief Pirate Sacratif, to which the mysterious brig also belongs. A sea battle breaks out , in the course of which the crew of the corvette is killed or taken prisoner. Upon capture, it becomes clear that Starkos and Sacratif are one and the same person. He still wants the hand of Hadjines and their inherited millions. Hadjine explains, however, that she used the money to free as many slaves as possible and that she herself was taken prisoner. She also bought the corvette to make Henry its captain.
In a desperate attempt, the prisoners manage to free themselves. In the ensuing fight, Sacratif is killed by Xaris with an ax blow. Since the pirates are now headless, d'Albaret's men manage to gain the upper hand and decide the fight for themselves. Now the way is paved for the lovers Henry and Hadjine.
expenditure
- Julius Verne: The archipelago on fire . With 51 illustrations. In: Known and Unknown Worlds. Adventurous journeys by Julius Verne . tape 46 . A. Hartleben´s Verlag, Wie. Pest. Leipzig. 1887 ( digitized [accessed April 27, 2010]).
literature
- Heinrich Pleticha (ed.): Jules Verne manual . Deutscher Bücherbund / Bertelsmann, Stuttgart and Munich 1992.
- Volker Dehs and Ralf Junkerjürgen: Jules Verne . Voices and interpretations of his work. Fantastic Library Wetzlar, Wetzlar 2005.
- Volker Dehs: Jules Verne . Jules Verne. A critical biography. Artemis & Winkler, Düsseldorf 2005. ISBN 3-538-07208-6
